My fiance (未婚夫) and I were excited about shopping for our first home. But our funds were______ , and none of the houses in our price range seemed satisfactory.
One agent(代理人） ________ a house in particular. Although her description sounded wonderful, the price was ______our range, so we declined. But she kept urging（催促） us to have a look _____.
We finally did and it was _______ at first sight. It was Our Home, small and charming, overlooking a quiet lake. Walking through the rooms and talking with the owners, a nice elderly couple, we felt the warmth and ________ of the marriage within that home. As perfect as it was, the price remained too high for us. But every day, we would sit by the lake, looking at the house and dreaming of _______ it would be like to live there.
Days later, we made a(n) _____ —far below the asking price. Surprisingly, they didn’t _______ us. They renewed their offer ______ . It was also much more than we could afford, but far ______ than the original asking price.
The next day, we got a _______ message that another buyer had offered a much higher price. Even so, we decided to talk with the _______ directly. We made our final offer, which______ was thousands of dollars less than the other buyer’s bid. We knew it, ________ we had to try.
“Sold!” said the owner. Then he _____ : He’d seen us sitting by the lake all those times; he knew how much we loved the place and that we’d _______ the years of work they had put into their home; he realized he would take a ______ by selling it to us, but it was worthwhile; we were the people they wanted to live there. He told us to consider the ______ in the price “an early wedding present.”
That’s how we found our home and how I learned that when people are _______ they are not strangers, only friends we haven’t yet met.
1.A. needed B. limited C. enough D. large
2.A. recommended B. decorated C. sold D. spun
3.A. below B. within C. beyond D. between
4.A. at least B. at most C. at times D. at hand
5.A. relief B. concern C. love D. curiosity
6.A. poverty B. happiness C. challenge D. desire
7.A. which B. why C. that D. what
8.A. effort B. offer C. promise D. profit
9.A. come across B. look after C. depend on D. laugh at
10.A. instead B. indeed C. aside D. apart
11.A. worse B. better C. less D. higher
12.A. relaxing B. disappointing C. pleasant D. regular
13.A. agents B. buyers C. managers D. owners
14.A. already B. still C. generally D. ever
15.A. so B. or C. for D. but
16.A. apologized B. complained C. blamed D. explained
17.A. check B. analyze C. appreciate D. ignore
18.A. loss B. risk C. chance D. lead
19.A. increase B. difference C. interest D. mistake
20.A. kind B. polite C. smart D. energetic
Happiness is for everyone. You don’t need to care about those people who have beautiful houses with large gardens and swimming pools or 1.and so on. Why? Because those who have big houses may often feel lonely and those who have cars may want to walk on the country roads at their free time.
In fact, happiness is always around you if you put your heart into it. 2.. When you study hard at your lessons, your parents are always taking good care of your life and your health. When you get success, your friends will say congratulations to you. When you do something wrong, people around you will help you to correct it. 3.All these are your happiness. If you notice a bit of them, you can see that happiness is always around you.
Happiness is not the same as money. It is a feeling of your heart. When you are poor, you can also say you are very happy, because you have something else that can’t be bought with money. 4., because you have more chances to challenge yourself with those difficulties. So you cannot always say you are poor and you have bad luck. As the saying goes, life is like a revolving(旋转的)door. When it closes, it also opens. 5..
A. When you are in trouble at school, your friends will help you
B. If you take e
very chance you get, you can be a happy and lucky person
C. those who have nice cars and a lot of money
D. And when you do something good to others, you will feel happy, too
E. those who have no houses
F. If you meet with something frightening, you can give them up and be happy
G. When you meet with difficulties, you can say loudly you are very happy
Gold Coast family holidays are always great fun whether you are from Australia or from abroad. There are beautiful beaches, adventure parks, nature parks and so much more.
There are so many sights to see here. It is a pity to drive in a car and you’ll miss a great part of it. Australia is home to many animals and birds that can only be seen when moving slowly and going into the areas that they live.
When you are on a bicycle, you have the advantage of being able to stop whenever you want to catch sight of (看见) an interesting animal or bird that you have never seen before. It is a quieter mode (方式) of transportation as well, so you might even be able to take a picture. When you are on the beach, you can breathe that clean air and view the beauty of the water and sand. It is a totally different experience from either simply sunbathing or passing it in a car.
There are many choices of hiring (租) a bicycle to experience the Gold Coast attractions. There are stores that will fit a bike perfectly to your size. These bikes for both adults and children are in many styles and colors to please any taste. If you have ever wanted to try a tandem bike (双人单车), now is your chance, because they have those too.
A bicycle hire on Gold Coast is something that everyone should try at least once. This is a wonderful chance for anyone who likes to cycle and it is also a cheap way to travel with your family.
1.You’d better not drive in a car on Gold Coast because.
A. you will break the traffic rules
B. you will cause much noise
C. you can’t enjoy the beautiful sights well
D. you can’t drive into some parks
2.What is paragraph 4 mainly about?
A. How to hire bikes on Gold Coast.
B. What kinds of bikes there are in stores.
C. What bikes are the most popular.
D. Who can hire bikes on Gold Coast.
3.What’s the author’s attitude towards a bike hire on Gold Coast?
A. He supports it very much.
B. He thinks it’s a personal choice.
C. He doesn’t like this way of traveling.
D. He thinks it’s only good for adults.
China Daily hit the press for the first time 35 years ago. Over the past three decades, we have struggled to bring the story of China to the world and to bring the world to China.
To celebrate the 35 anniversary(周年纪念） of China Daily, we are inviting readers from all around the world to share with us their special story. The story could center on anything about you and China Daily. It can be about a news story that touched you a lot that you still remember; it could be about an opinion piece that changed your understanding of China and its people; or it could be about photos that convinced you to visit China.
Who is invited
Foreigners with something to say about China Daily. Anyone familiar with China Daily is welcome to participate.
What to write
Anything that you read or saw in China Daily could be your subject. For instance, your impression of China Daily, how China Daily changed your perception（理解，看法）, how China Daily helped you develop a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.
How to join
Send your work （preferably with one or two photos） to readers@chinadaily.com.cn
Requirements
At least 300 words and one photo （50k） related to your story. More words and photos are encouraged. Please caption your photos with information such as who, what, where and when. Of course, if you can shoot a video and send it to us, it would be better.
Deadline
May 10, 2016.
Rewards
If the article is chosen, we will promote it on the China Daily website and on China Daily’s official Weibo and WeChat（微信）accounts.
Contact us if you have questions:
Office number: 010-84883694, 010-84883574
Email: readers@chinadaily.com.cn
1.According to the text, what can we learn about China Daily?
A. It only brings stories from foreign countries.
B. It has been published for 35 years up to now.
C. It has helped lots of foreigners learn Chinese.
D. It makes its readers touched by Chinese culture.
2.If you intend to con
tribute an article, which of the following topics will you probably choose?
A. Readers’ impression of Chinese culture.
B. How to improve our spoken English.
C. The development of foreign culture.
D. The bright future of China Daily.
3.According to the text, where can you probably read the chosen articles?
A. China Daily’s newspaper.
B. China Daily’s overseas edition.
C. China Daily’s WeChat.
D. Readers@chinadaily.com.cn
4.What’s the purpose of this text?
A. To attract more readers of China Daily.
B. To draw readers’ attention to China Daily.
C. To increase China Daily’s sales.
D. To celebrate China Daily’s birthday.
Chinese people read less than eight books last year, including both print and e-books, but the average(平均) time spent on mobile reading has for the first time exceeded one hour per day, showed statistics(数据） published by Chinese Academy of Press and Publication on Monday.
This is the academy’s 13th report regarding Chinese people’s reading habits in 17 years. The survey looked at the reading habits of both adults and children from 0 – 80, placing them in four different age groups, across 29 provinces in China.
The number of print books the average person read last year was 4.58, which basically remained the same level as that in 2014. The figure is rather low compared with other countries, with France being 12, South Korea being 11, Japan being 9 and the US being about seven, according to a report by Xinhua last year.
However, in contrast to the tiny increase in books being read last year, people’s interest in mobile reading has seen a rise. The average time Chinese people spent reading on their cellphones is 62.21 minutes, which nearly doubles the previous year’s average time of 33.82 minutes.
And more people are reading via their WeChat app as well. The most popular social networking phone app in China has also been providing public account services, which allow people to read comparatively long articles using the app. In 2015, 51.9% Chinese adults had used WeChat to read, a 17.5% increase on 2014.
But does that mean e-reading is replacing traditional reading in China?
Wei Yushan, president of the Academy of Press and Publication told People’s Daily that it doesn’t seem likely to him. “Having gone through a rapid development between 2011 and 2013, e-books are seeing a slowdown in their sales. Taking the US as an example, the sales growth of e-books has fallen behind that of print books in the past year.” In China, nearly 60% of people still prefer traditional reading to e-reading.
1.What does the underlined word “exceeded” in paragraph 1 mean?
A. rejected
B. designed
C. outnumbered
D. explained
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. The time spent on e-reading is more than that on traditional reading.
B. Extra services have been provided to allow people to read short articles.
C. Compared with Chinese readers, the number of Americans is larger.
D. An increase in the interest of mobile reading has been seen.
3.How does the writer develop the text?
A. By giving explanations.
B. By analyzing reasons.
C. By listing figures(数据）
.
D. By comparing books.
4.What does the last paragraph talk about?
A. All Chinese people like print books better.
B. Print books still gain popularity of readers.
C. The Sales of E-books have been improved.
D. Wei Yushan isn’t willing to give up e-reading.
Surviving Hurricane Sandy
Natalie Doan,14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. “It’s the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,” she says.
On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie’s family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city’s bridge closed.
When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie’s friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie’s school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.
In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.
“My mom tells me that I can’t control what happens to me,” Natalie says. “but I can always choose how I deal with it.”
Natalie’s choice was to help.
She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick’s collection was replaced.
In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.
Today, the scars(创痕)of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. “I can’t imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,” Natalie declares. “My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.”
1.When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane ,she found______.
A. some friends had lost their lives B. her neighborhood was destroyed
C. her school had moved to Brooklyn D. the elderly were free from suffering
2.According to paragraph4,who inspired Natalie most?
A. The people helping Rockaway rebuild
B. The people trapped in high rise building
C. The volunteers donating money to survivors
D. Local teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people
3.How did Natalie help the survivors?
A. She gave her toys to the kids
B. She took care of younger children
C. She called on the White House to help
D. She built an information sharing platform
4.What does the story intend to tell us?
A. Little people can make a big difference B. A friend in need is a friend indeed
C. East or West, home is best D. Technology is power
